Mechanical basketball game



Nov. 25, 1947.

E. F. GOSNELL MECHANICAL BASKETBALL GAME Filed Dec. 11, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR.

JZHward 17 $052262! MECHANI CAL BASKETBALL GAME Filed Dec. 11, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2- INV ENT OR.

Z'zfward z' G'osnell Patented Nov. 25, 1947 UNITED STATES;

seren Application December 9 Claims; 1-. Myinvention; relates.- to; a; mechanical" amusement machine; or toy andtmore specifically to an amusement machine of'theltype adapted forthe playingof.abasket ballgame.

It is. an object of my. invention to. provide a mechanical basket ball game adapted for opera tion bytwo persons; thereby providing a game inducing competitive spirit: and at; the same time teaching certain fundamentals ofthe game of basket ball:

It is another objectofmyinvention to providea gamethat may beenj oyedbyadults aswell as children.

Fora further and morecomplete understand- Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on an increased scale disclosing the trigger actuated means. for employing motion to the ball element of the apparatus;

Fig. 4. Ba detail horizontal sectional View on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 isadetail front: elevational' view disclosing themovable. arms; of. the: ball-throwing A pair, of horizontal manipulating levers l2 and I3, pivotally supported by a, vertical pin Mirigidly mounted on,the-, under side of the top wall I I, extend through a pair, of open rectangular slots l5 and [6 in theend walls :of the base Ill and terminate in a pairof operators handles l1 and I8. The levers l2 and. Bare provided'withvertical supporting extensions I9 and which pass through atpairof concentric slots 2| and.22'inthetop wall II-- and carry apair of automatons 2 3 and 24 at-their upper ends.-

The describing, center of'the concentric slots: 2-l and 2 2 is coincident withthelocation of the. lever supporting; pin l4; thereby insuring free movement of the supportingextensions l 9 and 20.:

within the slots 2| and 22. when thelevers I2 and I3 are pivotally moved.

The automatons 23 and 24:. are so supported on the extensions l9 and -20 as.t0 face or oppose na not rheautomatonfiispr videdwithr 11, 1945'; Serial No. 634,195

2. a.pair of. movabl'e'arms 25, the hands of whichare adapted tohold' a basket ball 26, said arms- 25 being rigidly. connected at its shoulders to a bar 2.7T which is rotatably mounted within the body of the automaton 23.

A trigger 28, pivotally mounted to the operators handle IT, is connected at its movable end to a horizontal shaft 29-which, in turn, connects with a pivotally mounted L-shaped arm 30, the

193 latter supporting avertica1 shaft 3| located With-- in: the automaton 23 and connectedto the bar Zlby an extended lever 32 rigidly fastened thereto.. This mechanism is located internally of the manipulating lever tomaton 23, and serves, when operated, to swing;

the arms 25 in an upward manner.

The automaton 22; stationed on the supporting1eXtension-2D. isiprovided with a pair of fixed 20.. upwardly extended arms. Located behind the automaton 24, and rigidly mounted at an end of the top wall H, isa round basket-goal 35, providing a circular opening through which the has ket ball 26 may easily pass.

25.. A supply lever 36-, having a cup-shaped-receptacle 31' at one end adapted to receive the basket ball 26, is rigidly attached at right angles to.

face of the top wall ll. Said supply lever 36 is configuration as the supply lever but relatively larger soas to permit the upward swing ofthe supply lever therethrough. The shaft 38 is extended through a side wall of the base In and the-offensive player'has so outmaneuvered thedefensive player, the. basketball is thrown toward the basket-goal by-the' upward swinging motion of'the'arms25. This upward motion, in turn, is

caused-bythe. actuation of the trigger 28011 the offensive playerlsrhandle. ll;

I2 and extends upwardlylit; through the supportin extension IQ of the au-= a shaft 38 rotatably mounted upon the lower surlocated adjacent to an open slot 39 in the top wall H, said slot 39' being substantially of the same The 'The object of the: ,55.-;game.-for;;thedefensive. playeriisto so position his automaton 24 by activation of the manipulating lever [3 so as to block the basket ball 26 thrown by the opposite or offensive player.

In view of the foregoing disclosures, it will be seen that I have provided a mechanical basket ball game adapted to be played by two persons and offering competition. The playing of the game may be readily performed and skill of operation acquired; the game providing the players with an interesting insight to the fundamentals of the actual game of basket ball.

My invention is characterized by simplicity of construction and ease of operation. It will be understood that while I have disclosed the preferred details of my invention, certain modifications of the same may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A mechanical basket ball game comprising a base provided with a playing surface forming a court area, a basket-goal supported at an end of said base, a plurality of opposed player-figures, one of said figures having movable arms adapted upon rocking movement in an upward direction to throw a miniature basket ball towards said basket-goal, supporting means for each of the figures pivotally mounted within said base, said supporting means terminating in externally located operating handles, a trigger mechanism movably mounted on one of said supporting means in operating connection with said movable arms of one of the figures, and an externally operated lever pivotally mounted at one end to said base and serving upon operation to introduce a basket ball into said movable arms of one of the figures.

2. A mechanical basket ball game comprising a base provided with a playing surface forming a court area, a basket-goal rigidly supported at one end of said base, open concentric slots within said base, a plurality of opposed player-figures located above said concentric slots, one of said figures having movable arms adapted to throw a miniature basket ball toward said basket-goal, supporting levers for each of the figures pivotally mounted on said base and terminating in operating handles located externally of said base, a trigger mechanism movably mounted on one of said supporting levers in operating relation with said movable arms of one of the figures, and an externally operated return lever pivotally mounted at one end to said base and serving upon op eration to introduce a miniature basket ball into said movable arms of one of the figures.

3. A mechanical basket ball game comprising a platform base having a top wall, side walls, and end walls, said top wall representing on its upper surface a basket ball court and containing a pair of concentric open slots extending therethrough, said end walls providing entrance slots therein, a basket-goal vertically mounted at one end of said top wall above said court surface, a plurality of vertically mounted player-figures located above said concentric slots in said top wall for manipulation on the playing surface, one of said figures having upwardly movable arms adapted to throw a miniature basket ball toward said basketgoal, a pair of figure-manipulating levers for said figures swingably mounted Within said base and providing at their ends figure-supporting extensions, said extensions being movable in the concentric slots of said top wall and carrying said figures at their upper ends, said levers adjacent to their outer ends being located in said slots of the end walls, externally accessible manually operated means provided on one of said levers for imparting swinging movement to said movable arms of one Of the figures, and an externally operated lever pivotally mounted at one end to said top wall and serving upon operation to introduce a basket ball into the movable arms of said figure.

4. A mechanical basket ball game comprising a base provided with a playing surface forming a court area, a basket-goal rigidly supported at one end of said base, open concentric slots within said base, a plurality of opposed player-figures located above said concentric slots, one of said figures having movable arms adapted upon rocking movement in an upward direction to throw a miniature basket ball toward said basket-goal, supporting levers for each of the figures pivotally mounted on said base at a point relativeto the described center of said concentric slots, externally accessible manually operated means provided on one of said levers for imparting rocking movement to said movable arms, and an externally operated lever pivotally mounted at one end to said base and serving upon operation to introduce a miniature basket ball into said movable arms of the figure.

5. A mechanical basket ball game comprising a base provided with a playing surface forming a court area, a basket-goal rigidly supported at one end of said base, open concentric slots within said base, a plurality of opposed player-figures located above said concentric slots, one of said figures having movable arms adapted upon rocking movement in an upward direction to throw a miniature basket ball toward said basketgoal, another figure having fixed upwardly extended arms adapted to block a basket ball thrown by the opposed player, supporting levers for each of the figures pivotally mounted on said base, externally accessible manually operated means provided on one of said levers for imparting rocking movement to said movable arms, and an externally operated lever pivotally mounted at one end to said base and serving upon operation to introduce a miniature basket ball into said movable arms of the figure.

6. In a mechanical basket ball game, a base provided with a playing surface forming a court area, a basket-goal supported by said base, an offensive player-figure having movable arms adapted upon rocking movement in an upward direction to throw a miniature basket ball toward said goal, a defensive player-figure transversely movable over said court area, the arms of said defensive player-figure being so positioned as to deflect a miniature basket ball thrown by said offensive player-figure when said figures are opposite one another, and a trigger mechanism in operating engagement with the movable arms of said ofiensive player-figure serving when actuated to impart rocking movement thereto.

'7. In a mechanical basket ball game, a base provided with a playing surface forming a court area, a basket-goal supported by said base, an ofiensive player-figure having movable arms adapted upon rocking movement in an upward direction to throw a miniature basket ball toward said goal, a defensive player-figure transversely movable in an arcuate path over said base, the arms of said defensive player-figure being so positioned as to deflect a miniature basket ball thrown by said ofiensive player-figure when in the path of trajectory thereof, and a trigger mechanism in operating engagement with the movable arms of said offensive player-figure serv- 5 ing when actuated to impart rocking movement thereto.

8. In a mechanical basket ball game, a base provided with a playing surface forming a court area, a basket-goal supported by said base, offensive and defensive player-figures transversely movable over said court area, said offensive figure having movable arms adapted upon rocking movement in an upward direction to throw a miniature basket ball toward said basket-goal, said defensive player-figure having arms positioned so as to block a basket ball thrown by said offensive figure when in the path of trajectory thereof, and a trigger mechanism in operating engagement with the movable arms of said offensive playerfigure serving when actuated to impart rocking movement thereto.

9. In a mechanical basket ball game, a base provided with a playing surface forming a court area, a basket-goal supported by said base, offensive and defensive player-figures transversely movable over said court area, said offensive figure,

having movable arms adapted upon rocking movement in an upward direction to throw a min- REFERENCES CITED The foilovving references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,433,335 Bensch Oct. 24, 1922 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 833,852 France July 25, 1938 

